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The Christian Faithful

August 15, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Christian Faithful

By DON FIER For the past nine weeks, we have been unpacking the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) on the four identifying characteristics or properties that distinguish the Catholic Church from all other churches and ecclesial communities — that she is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. The last of these four marks, that she is apostolic, was shown last week to manifest itself in three principal ways: The Church is apostolic in her origin because she is “built upon the foundation of the apostles” (Eph. 2:20) whom Christ Himself chose and commissioned to “preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15); in her teaching, which remains faithful to what was originally received by the apostles…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

August 14, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: Following up on a recent reply to the question of “Who Made God,” T.J.M. of New Jersey sent along these comments: “Your answer to this question was, of course, correct, but based on the acceptance of Revelation and the definition of God provided. [However], there is an additional argument, surprisingly based on science, which I find to be irrefutable and may be of assistance to the grandson in question. Until the 1950s, atheists insisted that the universe was eternal, which assertion Christians denied based on faith. At that time, however, scientists discovered that the universe, which had not been in existence before, came into being in a few seconds some 13.7 billion years ago as a result of an…Continue Reading

Choose Today Whom You Will Serve

August 13, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Choose Today Whom You Will Serve

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Twenty-First Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR B) Readings: Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b Eph. 5:21-32 John 6:60-69 In the first reading today we hear about Joshua calling together the people of Israel as they embark upon the Promised Land. It is in this setting that Joshua draws the line in the sand and challenges the people to make a choice regarding whom they will serve. The people proclaimed that they would serve the Lord, but we all know how long that lasted. The same challenge is given to us today, but in a bit of a different context. In the other two readings today, we have two of the areas of doctrine that have become among the…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… How Catholics End Up As Practical Protestants

August 10, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… How Catholics End Up As Practical Protestants

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK The Church is in the business of making Catholics, of proclaiming and calling all to the fullness of saving truth in Jesus Christ our Lord. Our mission to those who doubt or refuse some of our teachings is to call them to that fullness, whether Catholics already in our pews or Protestant brothers and sisters on our periphery. A confusion, sometimes called “ecumania,” has resulted in an inversion of the Church’s mission on the part of some Catholics, even among our Catholic leadership, as we have seen Walter Cardinal Kasper among those who would change Catholic doctrine on marriage to mirror what is already abundantly available among non-Catholic confessions. But our mission as Catholics is…Continue Reading

An Apologetics Course . . . The Divinity Of Christ — Judaism, Then And Now

August 9, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on An Apologetics Course . . . The Divinity Of Christ — Judaism, Then And Now

By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM Part 14 Judaism, the religion established in a formal way by Moses from Mount Sinai, was the only religion in the ancient world that was based upon divine Revelation. All the other religions were founded by men and influenced by devils to a greater or lesser degree, as the Holy Spirit Himself inspired David to say: “For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils” (Psalm 95:5). Judaism, therefore, was the great exception in the old world, a religion inspired by God Himself to prepare the world to receive the Messias. Were they always faithful to their great call? No, they were not. They were not content with having a purely spiritual God — they…Continue Reading

The Four Marks Of The Church — Apostolicity

August 8, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Four Marks Of The Church — Apostolicity

By DON FIER The Church, founded by Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit, has a solemn duty to “continue the mission of Christ himself in the course of history” (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 173). It is in this sense, as we saw last week, that she is missionary in her very nature. “Christians must, therefore, proclaim to everyone the Good News borne by Christ; and, following his path, they must be ready for self-sacrifice, even unto martyrdom.” Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ, expertly encapsulates the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) on the Church’s missionary mandate: It originates with Christ’s commandment to His apostles to go forth and teach all…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

August 7, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: Regarding a recent reply on whether anyone was able to get to Heaven prior to Jesus’ death on the cross, we said that Enoch and Elijah may have been exceptions. We have since received the following comments from R.P.G. of Ohio. He said that the Catechism of the Catholic Church (cf. nn. 631 to 635) “indicates what Jesus did on Saturday morning before rising on Easter morning. The section of Luke 16:19-31, which both the CCC and the New American Bible identify as a parable, is more of a divine revelation than a parable. “All of the other 33 parables in the Gospels always refer to a man, a woman, a shepherd, a farmer, etc., but this pericope identifies…Continue Reading

Rejection Of Faith And Morality

August 6, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Rejection Of Faith And Morality

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Twentieth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR B) Readings: Prov. 9:1-6 Eph. 5:15-20 John 6:51-58 In the second reading today, St. Paul tells us that we are not to live as foolish persons, but as wise people, making the most of the opportunity because the days are evil. There are certainly many things we could point to that demonstrate painfully the evil that has overtaken our world. However, there have always been people who have done evil and even reveled in it. One could make the case that it is rare that the evil would be so widespread, thereby setting our time apart from most others eras in the history of the world. There have been other…Continue Reading

Pope John Paul II… The Church Must Continue To Build God’s Spiritual House In America!

August 5, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Pope John Paul II… The Church Must Continue To Build God’s Spiritual House In America!

(Editor’s Note: Below we reprint the homily Pope John Paul II gave in the Archdiocese of Newark during his 1995 apostolic journey to the United States, 20 years ago. He spoke on October 5 at the Giants Stadium. (Toward the end his talk, John Paul spoke in defense of the unborn, “the stranger in the womb,” in terms which are even more relevant now in America. Endangering the unborn undermines the deepest traditions of the United States, he said. (Libreria Editrice Vaticana holds the copyright to this homily. All rights reserved.) + + + “Thy Kingdom come!” (Matt. 6: 10). Dear Archbishop McCarrick and my other Brother Bishops, Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Each day in the “Our Father”…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… Marking Humanae Vitae’s 47th Anniversary

August 3, 2015 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… Marking Humanae Vitae’s 47th Anniversary

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK Families are under attack on several fronts: whether it is what makes a marriage with one man and one woman, whether it is children who should have a mother and a father or about how life comes into the world. Those who wish to redefine God’s plan continue to apply euphemisms in attempts to change the contents while keeping the label the same. Our Catholic families report that the campaign to normalize sodomy continues with two-woman or two-man pairs moving into parishes, schools, and other community activities as they simulate every aspect of marriage and family life. They brilliantly assume that because no one wants to be accused of being “mean,” they will easily continue…Continue Reading